Abstract

Exosomes are naturally occurring vesicles secreted by all cells, including those grown in culture. They have important functions including intercellular communication and homeostasis, mediated by heterogenous constituents such as nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, amino acids, and metabolites, influenced by their cell of origin. Exosomes can be produced from engineered cells, changing the cargo they contain, or the surface properties that affect their biodistribution and pharmacokinetics. This enables them to carry molecules that can act as a drug and target these to specific cells. Given their natural occurrence, exosomes display low immunogenicity and toxicity compared with other drug delivery vehicles, and therefore have great potential for safe and effective drug delivery. However, there are challenges to overcome in developing exosome therapeutics, including delivering sufficient drug cargo, endosomal escape, challenges in scale up of manufacturing and product characterisation. This presentation will summarise current knowledge regarding exosomes as a drug delivery platform, how exosomes compare to other drug modalities and future steps required to develop these into new medicines.